In the matter of the General Data Protection Regulation
DPC Complaint Reference:
IMI Reference:
In the matter of a complaint, lodged by with the Commission Nationale de
l'Informatique et des Libertés pursuant to Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation,
concerning Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (formerly Facebook Ireland Limited)
Record of Amicable Resolution of the complaint and its consequent withdrawal pursuant to
Section 109(3) of the Data Protection Act, 2018
Further to the requirements of EDPB Guidelines 06/2022 on the practical implementation of
amicable settlements Version 2.0 (adopted on 12 May 2022)
RECORD OF AMICABLE RESOLUTION FOR THE
PURPOSE OF EDPB GUIDELINES 06/2022 ON THE
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF AMICABLE
SETTLEMENTS VERSION 2.0
(ADOPTED ON 12 MAY 2022)
Dated the 20th day of March 2023
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2, Ireland
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Background
1. On 23 April 2020, (“the Data Subject”) lodged a complaint pursuant to Article
77 of the GDPR with the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (“the
Recipient SA”) concerning Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (formerly Facebook Ireland
Limited) (“the Respondent”).
2. In circumstances where the Data Protection Commission (“the DPC”) was deemed to be the
competent authority for the purpose of Article 56(1) GDPR, the Recipient SA transferred the
complaint to the DPC on 13 December 2021.
The Complaint
3. The details of the complaint were as follows:
a. The Data Subject contacted the Respondent, requesting the erasure of personal data
concerning them that had been uploaded to the Respondent’s Facebook platform by
a third party user. In this regard, the Data Subject provided the Respondent with thirty
separate URL’s containing personal data that they requested be removed from the
platform.
b. The Respondent reviewed the request, and responded to the Data Subject advising
that the request would not be complied with. As the Data Subject was not satisfied
with the response received from the Respondent, the Data Subject lodged a complaint
with their supervisory authority.
Action taken by the DPC
4. The DPC, pursuant to Section 109(4) of the Data Protection Act, 2018 (“the 2018 Act”), is
required, as a preliminary matter, to assess the likelihood of the parties to the complaint
reaching, within a reasonable time, an amicable resolution of the subject-matter of the
complaint. Where the DPC considers that there is a reasonable likelihood of such an amicable
resolution being concluded between the parties, it is empowered, by Section 109(2) of the
2018 Act, to take such steps as it considers appropriate to arrange or facilitate such an
amicable resolution.
5. Following a preliminary examination of the material referred to it by the Recipient SA, the DPC
considered that there was a reasonable likelihood of the parties concerned reaching, within a
reasonable time, an amicable resolution of the subject matter of the complaint. The DPC’s
experience is that complaints of this nature are particularly suitable for amicable resolution in
circumstances where there is an obvious solution to the dispute, if the respondent is willing
to engage in the process. In this regard, the DPC had regard to:
a. The relationship between the Data Subject and Respondent (being, in this case, an
individual consumer and a service provider); and
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b. The nature of the complaint (in this case, an unsuccessful attempt by the Data Subject
to exercise their data subject rights).
6. While not relevant to the assessment that the DPC is required to carry out pursuant to Section
109(4) of the 2018 Act, the DPC also had regard to EDPB Guidelines 06/2022 on the practical
implementation of amicable settlements Version 2.0, adopted on 12 May 2022 (“Document
06/2022”), and considered that:
a. the possible conclusion of the complaint by way of amicable resolution would not
hamper the ability of the supervisory authorities to maintain the high level of
protection that the GDPR seeks to create; and that
b. such a conclusion, in this case, would likely carry advantages for the Data Subject,
whose rights under the GDPR would be vindicated swiftly, as well as for the controller,
who would be provided the opportunity to bring its behaviour into compliance with
the GDPR.
Amicable Resolution
7. The DPC engaged with both the Data Subject (via the Recipient SA) and Respondent in relation
to the subject matter of the complaint. Further to that engagement, on 5 September 2022,
the Respondent advised the DPC that:
a. Having reviewed the matter again, it had noted that of the thirty URL’s referred in the
Data Subject’s initial complaint, twenty-five URL’s were no longer available on the
Facebook platform.
b. In relation to the remaining five URL’s, a specialist team reviewed these URL’s and
following this review the five URL’s had been restricted, meaning that the content was
no longer visible on the Facebook platform for users within the EEA and UK.
8. On 27 September 2022, the Respondent contacted the Data Subject directly, informing them
that the remaining content in question had been restricted. The Respondent also informed
the DPC of the action it had taken.
9. On 12 October 2022, the DPC wrote to the Data Subject (via the Recipient SA) seeking their
views on the action taken by the Respondent. In its correspondence, the DPC requested that
the Data Subject notify it, within a specified timeframe, if they were not satisfied with the
action taken by the Respondent, so that the DPC could take further action. The Recipient SA
confirmed that they issued this correspondence to the Data Subject on 15 November 2022.
10. On 16 November 2022, the Data Subject informed the Recipient SA that they were agreeable
to the amicable resolution of their complaint.
11. On 13 December 2022, and in light of the foregoing, the DPC wrote to the Recipient SA noting
that the DPC considered the complaint to have been amicably resolved and withdrawn in
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accordance with section 109(3) of the Act and that it would conclude the case and inform the
Respondent. On 21 December 2022, the Recipient SA acknowledged receipt of this
correspondence.
12. In circumstances where the subject matter of the complaint has been amicably resolved, in
full, the complaint, by virtue of Section 109(3) of the 2018 Act, is deemed to have been
withdrawn by the Data Subject.
Confirmation of Outcome
13. For the purpose of Document 06/2022, the DPC confirms that:
a. The complaint, in its entirety, has been amicably resolved between the parties
concerned;
b. The agreed resolution is such that the object of the complaint no longer exists; and
c. Having consulted with the supervisory authorities concerned on the information set
out above, as required by Document 06/2022 the DPC has now closed off its file in
this matter.
14. If dissatisfied with the outcome recorded herein, the parties have the right to an effective
remedy by way of an application for judicial review, by the Irish High Court, of the process
applied by the DPC in the context of the within complaint.
Signed for and on behalf of the DPC:
_____________________________
Deputy Commissioner
Data Protection Commission
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